Mon, Dec 01, 2008

UA Sports

UA admits to minor violations

Cats self-report 9 NCAA infractions over 14 months
By Patrick Finley
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 12.12.2007
Former UA guard Mustafa Shakur received a $205 ticket to an NBA game from a former UA basketball player last year. The NCAA secondary violation was reported by the school to the Pac-10 in May.
The error was one of nine secondary violations self-reported to the conference by Arizona from Aug. 1, 2006, to Oct. 1, 2007, according to public records documents obtained by the Star.
The reports — which feature narratives and rules violation citations — were filed to the Pac-10 by UA athletic director Jim Livengood.
The names of athletes and coaches, and indicators of their sport, were redacted in copies given to the Star in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. Shakur's name was left unobscured on one occasion.
A secondary violation "is isolated or inadvertent in nature, provides or is intended to provide only a minimal recruiting, competitive or other advantage, and does not include any significant recruiting inducement or extra benefit," according to NCAA Bylaw 19.02.2.1.
Violations are separated into Level I or Level II infractions based on the rule broken or, in some cases, the severity of a specific violation. Both must be reported to the conference, which forwards them to the NCAA.
The Pac-10 is the only conference that treats violations in that manner, said Ron Barker, the conference's associate commissioner for governance and enforcement. Other conferences have schools individually send their reports directly to the NCAA, he said.
"I've had people tell me, 'This couldn't happen in other conferences,'" he said. "They know they have to sit in judgment of their peers. There's a little more trust. It's not hidden, what happens.
"Here, everyone knows what each other is reporting."
Three times a year — including Tuesday — the conference's Compliance and Enforcement Committee meets to review the reports. The committee is made up of four faculty representatives, senior administrators and athletic directors from around the conference, and this year includes UA senior associate athletic director Kathleen "Rocky" LaRose.
After a violation at the UA is discovered, Bill Morgan — the associate director of athletics, administrative services and compliance — goes onto a national database to determine the school's self-imposed punishment. The database dates to 1992 and gives Morgan precedent for a punishment.
In most cases, the conference approves the school's self-imposed punishment. Morgan said the Pac-10 has added to a UA punishment "maybe twice in the last 15 years.
"They rarely pile on anymore," he said. "We go into the precedent of the previous violations. Most are pretty much boiler-plate kinds of things."
The UA's secondary violations were fairly banal. Unless otherwise noted, the UA's penalties for the nine infractions entailed a letter of admonishment for coaches and an education session given by Morgan.
In some cases, recruits and current athletes were barred from competition at the UA, only for the school to petition for reinstatement:
● In April, the UA reported it had placed autographed jerseys on its Web site to help raise funds for the Arizona Cancer Center. The move violated a rule that states a student-athlete's name, picture or likeness — jersey name included — cannot be marketed and sold.
● In March, the UA reported a coach had a 45-50 minute conversation with the parent of a junior in high school. The coach was barred from calling the female athlete for two weeks.
● In March, the UA reported that more than one student-athlete received both breakfast and training-table meals, when rules stipulate they can only receive one a day. The athletes were charged $62.65 for 16 days' worth of meals.
● In November 2006, the UA reported that a non-recruited athlete was still practicing with the team after his/her 45-day eligibility grace period expired.
● In October 2006, the UA reported an athlete practiced while not under full-time enrollment. The player was suspended for two days of practice.
● In November 2006, the UA reported it violated a rule stating a student-athlete cannot depart for an event earlier than 48 hours beforehand or return later than 36 hours after the event.
● In May, the UA reported a coach — from a sport other than football and basketball — spoke to two high school juniors.
● In August, the UA reported a coach spoke with a prospect and his/her parents during a multiple-day competition.
The Shakur case reported the now-graduated guard received four free tickets from the unnamed former UA basketball player. Shakur admitted to the UA he received one ticket and went to the game alone.
The UA ruled Morgan would educate students not to accept free tickets unless they are from teammates. There was no further penalty, as Shakur's eligibility was exhausted by May.
Speaking generally, Morgan said tickets are allowed to be given by former teammates. Shakur was never a teammate of the former UA player.
Barker said the Pac-10 had about 185 violations so far this year. In general, he said, the number of violations have gone down in recent years, in part because of NCAA deregulation.
Morgan said the UA falls into the middle of the conference pack.
"We're about average," Morgan said. "I think everyone's doing about the same."